A large number of people took part in a procession of the Sri Krishna Leelotsava, popularly called the “Vittal Pindi” festival, on the Car Street here on Friday.
The procession started from the entrance of the Sri Krishna Math/Temple at 3.30 p.m. Vishwaprasanna Tirtha Swami, junior seer of Paryaya Pejawar Mutt, installed a clay idol (“utsava murthy”) of Lord Krishna on the top of the golden chariot (“ratha”). The idols of Lord Ananteshwara and Lord Chandramouleshwara were placed in the “Navaratna Ratha”, ahead of the golden chariot.
These chariots were pulled on the Car Street with a team of musicians from Bhaivaranath Tarun Mandal from Pune, Chilipili Gombe Balaga, Marakalu dancers, and “Huli Vesha” dancers ahead of them.
A major attraction of the festival was “mosaru kudike” or breaking of earthen pots. As many as 15 wooden “gopuras” were constructed around the Car Street. As soon as the procession reached a “gopura”, a person would climb atop the “gopura” and hang pots containing milk, milk products and water mixed with vermilion.
A group of persons dressed in folk costumes would stand below the “gopura” with long sticks and jostle with one another to break the earthen pots (with the sticks). This process was repeated at all the wooden “gopuras.”
The people applauded them whenever they broke the earthen pots. The “mosaru kudike” here is different from other places, where human pyramids are formed to break earthen pots.
Then, Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Pejawar Mutt, Vishwaprasanna Tirtha, Lakshmivara Tirtha Swami of Shiroor Mutt, and other seers distributed “ladoos” and “chakkulis” at a stage near the Ananteshwara Temple Cross Road.
A “Huli Vesha” dancer spitting fire in the procession was yet another attraction. After going around the Car Street, the procession culminated at the entrance of the Sri Krishna Math.
The clay idol of Lord Krishna was removed from the golden chariot and taken in a golden palanquin to Madhwa Sarovara pond. Vishwaprasanna Tirtha took the clay idol around in the boat in the pond even as students studying in the mutt were swimming and following him to catch the idol.
Suddenly, Vishwaprasanna Tirtha jumped from the boat and immersed the idol into the pond marking the culmination of the festival. While he swam back, one of the students was successful in getting the idol from the water.
Earlier, during the “Anna Santharpane” held in the noon, nearly 30,000 devotees had food (prasadam) at the temple. Both Vishwesha Tirtha and Vishwaprasanna Tirtha served food to the devotees.
